Menma, Naruto, and Danzo

Because he had invited Naruto to play at his house, Uzumaki Menma had no choice but to bite the bullet and take Naruto to Root.

As they walked, Uzumaki Menma kept comforting himself in his heart.

'Although Grandpa Danzo looks scary, he has never refused me before. If I act cute later, I should be able to fool him, right?'

Naruto, on the other hand, had no idea he was about to enter a den of wolves and tigers, and was still looking forward to it.

Before long, Uzumaki Menma was about to arrive at Root with Naruto.

Before entering the Root headquarters, Uzumaki Menma instructed, "Naruto, remember, no matter what happens or what you see later, don't say anything, understand?"

A puzzled Naruto didn't understand why Uzumaki Menma was so nervous, but he nodded and said, "Okay."

As soon as Uzumaki Menma arrived at the entrance of Root with Naruto, two Root ninjas wearing masks blocked their path.

"Hmm? Young Master Menma?"

The two Root ninjas were very puzzled.

Wasn't Uzumaki Menma supposed to be in Root? Why was he returning from outside, and with...

The two Root ninjas stared wide-eyed at Naruto.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?!

Uzumaki Menma scratched his head and tentatively asked, "Haha, I went out to play for a bit and made a new friend. I wanted to bring my new friend home to play, is that okay?"

The two Root ninjas looked at Uzumaki Menma with admiration.

'As expected of Young Master Menma, Danzo-sama's grandson, he's even bringing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Root.'

The Root ninjas directly opened the Root gate, allowing Uzumaki Menma and Naruto to enter Root.

Naruto was very curious about everything in Root, looking left and right.

Naruto exclaimed, "Menma, your house is so big."

"Big? It's alright."

Uzumaki Menma was in no mood to answer Naruto, feeling uneasy and wondering how to face Danzo later.

Inside Danzo's office.

Danzo rubbed his throbbing temples, looking at the apprehensive Uzumaki Menma in front of him, and Naruto, who was curiously staring at him.

"So, you secretly sneaked out of Root, and then brought him here, is that right?"

Danzo was at his wit's end.

Konoha's two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were now both in Root.

However, Danzo didn't feel a trace of joy, but rather felt extremely troubled.

One Uzumaki Menma was already enough for Danzo to handle.

He had to constantly endure Hiruzen Sarutobi's Telescope Technique surveillance.

All of Root's experiments had been halted because of it.

Now that Naruto Uzumaki had arrived, should he even continue running Root?

He might as well disband it on the spot!

"Haha, it seems so, Grandpa Danzo, you shouldn't be angry, right?" Uzumaki Menma asked cautiously.

Danzo beckoned Uzumaki Menma over, "Come here."

Uzumaki Menma obediently walked to Danzo's side.

Danzo suddenly picked up Uzumaki Menma, placed him on his lap, raised his hand high, and then...

Danzo slapped Uzumaki Menma's butt repeatedly.

"I told you! Don't leave Root! Don't leave Root! Did you only listen with your butt? No one has ever dared to defy my decision! You're the first... second!"

Danzo felt that his education of Uzumaki Menma had been too lax. He hadn't disciplined Uzumaki Menma properly in the past three years, which had caused Uzumaki Menma to become arrogant!

Uzumaki Menma's pig-like wails echoed throughout the office.

Naruto stared blankly at Danzo beating Uzumaki Menma, not understanding why the serious old man, who was about the same age as his Hokage Grandpa, was beating Uzumaki Menma.

But Naruto's body always acted before his brain, and he had already jumped onto Danzo's desk, pointing at Danzo with his little finger and questioning, "Why are you hitting Menma!"

Danzo looked at Naruto grimly, "What, do you want to take his place?"

Naruto instantly felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, and his body couldn't help but shiver.

But Naruto still gritted his teeth, enduring the fear and saying, "If I take his place, I take his place! Hit me instead!"

Uzumaki Menma immediately panicked.

If his Grandpa Danzo could beat him, it meant it wasn't a big deal, and a beating would be enough.

What's with trying to be a hero now?

Danzo's eyes were fixed intently on Naruto.

Naruto returned Danzo's stare just as fiercely.

Uzumaki Menma felt it necessary to cover their backs.

"Grandpa Danzo, Naruto is a friend I just met. The moment I saw him, I felt this inexplicable urge to become friends with him. He's my first friend, so I wanted to bring him back to make Grandpa Danzo happy, to let you know I have a friend."

Danzo looked down at Uzumaki Menma, who was wearing a flattering smile. All he could think about was Uzumaki Menma's words: 'He's my first friend, so I wanted to bring him back to make Grandpa Danzo happy.'

So, this little brat brought him back to make me happy...

And this inexplicable urge to become friends is because they're brothers...

Danzo lifted Uzumaki Menma off his lap and placed him on the ground, saying stiffly, "I'll give you one hour."

Uzumaki Menma was instantly overjoyed.

Danzo's one hour meant Naruto could play in Root for an hour and then leave safely.

Uzumaki Menma grabbed Naruto's hand and happily left the office.

After Uzumaki Menma and Naruto left, Danzo summoned a Root ninja.

"Go inform Hiruzen, tell him to come pick up the boy!"

"Yes!"

The Root ninja was about to leave when Danzo added, "Have some food prepared and sent to those two brats."

After leaving the office, Naruto said, still shaken, "Your grandpa looks really scary."

Uzumaki Menma's face was full of black lines. "You knew he was scary and you still did that? You really aren't afraid of death, are you?"

Naruto said with a simple smile, "Hehe, my brain just overheated for a moment, and I just rushed over."

Uzumaki Menma sighed. "Grandpa Danzo just looks scary, but he really is pretty scary."

Naruto looked at Uzumaki Menma with a blank expression.

Are you messing with me?

In the three years since Uzumaki Menma came to this world, he had completely accepted Root as his home and Danzo as his grandfather.

For Uzumaki Menma, this world was already a completely new world, not the world he remembered.

Although Danzo's gaze always seemed fierce, Uzumaki Menma could feel Danzo's concern for him.

Perhaps Danzo had already accepted him as his real grandson.

Uzumaki Menma smiled. "Alright, Naruto, I'll take you to look around Root. It's a lot of fun here!"

Naruto raised his little fist with enthusiasm. "Okay!"